WORDS (english)

        Generally, someone who reads something on a daily basis knows the value of texts, paragraphs, and most importantly words. Words have an immense power, they posses an incredible value and meaning around them. Words can teach, break, make, create, erase, finish, start, continue, and so many other things that I can list, yet can’t since it will take a long while to write and read.

Throughout history, many words, many phrases have decided out faith today, many important people have lead humanity with the power they have from these words and phrases. Their speeches/phrases/words made them important, their speeches/phrases/words were important because of them. Of course words can also remind, make or create a bad situation and/or make a situation worse. Which means, as stated before words can render someone important bad or someone important can render the image of these words bad. So in both cases words have an grave impact on people, societies, today and the future.

As I said, throughout history, I would like to give an example for each case of “word utilization”. To commence with the good utilization of words, I would like to give the genuine example of Martin Luther King Jr., his speech stood for equality for all. His speech and his usage of “I have a dream”* has brought this phrase, this dream so far that we do remember Martin Luther King every time we hear this phrase. They have become one, himself and his speech. Martin Luther King has brought these words this far and these word/this phrase has brought him this far. So we can consider the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. as an example for positive impact of words. Apart from this, as an example for negative impact of words, I believe the phrase “Heil Hitler”** of Adolf Hitler could be a considerable example. Adolf Hitler has brought this phrase the negative and tense air that comes along with it. The tension created by this certain phrase can take anyone back a long time and remind many disturbing memories and stories even though they haven’t experienced it before. It is sometimes just disturbing to hear it. This shows us how Hitler’s reign has embraced this phrase and how this phrase has carried Hitler’s reign until this day.

As seen in the few examples I have indicated, words –depending on situations– secretly or openly have an immense impact on our daily lives. Yet, returning to the main point I would like to focus on, words are losing their impact and value over occurrences and lives. This leads new generations, descendants to using one of the most valuable sources of life to nothing. Since adults/grown-ups don’t teach or introduce the impact and value of words and the new generation has an important lack of questioning and/or analyzing the newcomers has been using words careless, worthless and insignificant. In other words, since they haven’t yet realized the importance of this gold they throw words around like they don’t carry any importance or impact on the audiences they are directed to.

Moreover, when one is insulting another, it has caught my attention that they use the harshest and the most insensitive insult yet act like they haven’t said anything or they don’t realize the weight of what’s coming out of their mouth. I have been experiencing small moments of collapse and disturbance every time I hear someone insulting another, in such a careless and horrific way. I can only show my reaction by a glance, yet it hurts me every time to see how carelessly the words that can change a person, situation or even the future are being thrown around. Further, it makes it hard for the people who sincerely, really mean something because they may mean it fully yet since the receiver values it one quarter the communication and disappointment augments in each dialogue.

As a solution I wish that adults, parents, teachers to be mentors and recall the value and impact that the words carried. Read more, learn more, be curious more and just remind how a single word can change many things.

Sincerely, wishing that the words can be noticed more…

-hande

* “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

** “The Nazi salute or Hitler salute is a gesture that was used as a greeting in Nazi Germany. The salute is performed by extending the right arm in the air with a straightened hand. Usually, the person offering the salute would say "Heil Hitler!" (Heil Hitler!), "Heil, mein Führer!" (Heil, my leader!), It was adopted in the 1930s by the Nazi Party to signal obedience to the party's leader – Adolf Hitler – and to glorify the German nation (and later the German war effort). The salute was mandatory for civilians[1] but mostly optional for military personnel, who retained the traditional military salute until shortly after the failed assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944.”